Alaska’s Bristol Bay sockeye fishery had buyers nervous as landings were delayed.
In early July, 12 million reds had been landed, jumping to just over 18 million fish by mid-month. By the week of 19 July, landings reached 25.5 million fish, closing in on the 30.5-million-fish projection set by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game. As the harvest wrapped up in early August, landings amounted to 28.6 million fish.
However, those numbers are still down from the same period last year as well as the five-year average. The industry’s supply concerns were evident in the resulting ex-vessel prices.
In mid-July, Bristol Bay gillnetters were getting around 91 cents per pound, compared to advance prices of 62 to 68 cents per pound in 2009.
According to market analyst Ken Talley, the wholesale market is also seeing similar price increases over last year. Value-added sockeye fillets were being offered at as much as USD 7 per pound, compared to the usual USD 5.50 per pound. H&G fresh sockeye from all Alaska sources were also up, with 6- to 9-pounders going for as much as USD 4.25 per pound, compared to USD 3.50 per pound last year. Frozen H&G 6-9s were going for USD 3.75 per pound, up from USD 3.25.
Despite the early season worries, ADF&G said landings are starting to catch up with projections. At press time in late July, escapements were starting to really slow down, signaling the end of the run.
Bristol Bay is the world’s largest sockeye fishery and represents the majority of Alaska’s salmon catch. As of 6 August, the state’s sockeye landings totaled 39.6 million fish, according to the ADF&G.
